Understanding Medicine

1. Understanding Medicine Part 1: The Role of MedicinePart 2: Using Medicine WiselyLaura CopelandChelsey LindbloomRick LigonGabrielle MarrahAlicia McMahon

2. Audience Demographics • For this presentation the audience are senior citizens, 50 years of age or over.

3. Part 1: The Role of Medicine

4. Medication • A substance that when taken internally or applied to the body, helps treat, prevent, or cure a disease, disorder, or other medical problem.

5. A medication is classified according to its effects on the body • There are 4 broad classifications • Prevent Disease • Fight Pathogens • Treat Cardiovascular Disease • Relieve Pain Medication Classification

6. Considered by many to be the most effective way of preventing infectious diseases • Prevent diseases before they even occur • Two types… Prevent Disease

7. Type 1: Vaccines Two important vaccines: • Flu/Influenza • Flu Season is annually from October to March • The vaccine changes every season • You can get your vaccine at your doctor’s office, a clinic, the Health Department, or Publix

8. Vaccines Cont… • Pneumonia • Prevents bacteria from causing pneumonia • Lasts 5 years • You can get the vaccine at your Dr. office, a clinic, the Health Department, or Publix

9. Contain antibodies from blood extracts • Proven to act more quickly than vaccines • When injected, neutralize the effect of toxins Type 2: Antitoxins

10. Called Antibiotics • By Prescription • Can be taken by mouth, on the skin, injection, or intravenously • Take entire prescribed course even if you are feeling better! Fight Pathogens

11. Medicine that helps the heart regulate blood pressure • Five main types: • Clot-dissolving medicines • Beta Blockers • Vasodilators • Diuretics • Antiarrhythmics Cardiovascular Medicines

12. Relieve Pain Pain relievers range from narcotics such as codeine to mild pain relievers such as aspirin. Which pain relievers work best?

13. Positive Negative Aspirin: anti-inflammatory limited amount of relief reduces blood clotting can irritate stomach can prevent heart attack, stroke easy to take too much Acetaminophen: well tolerated by the stomach not an anti-inflammatory good for burns, bruises, sprains no anticoagulant effects good for bruises and sprains common for allergies to exist few people are intolerant can irritate stomach anti-inflammatory (anticoagulant) recommended intake with food 650 mg 1000mg Ibuprofen 400 mg

14. Everyone reacts differently to medications • You can have a different reaction to any medication at any time no matter how long you have been taking it Medication and Your Body

15. factors that contribute to the body’s interaction with a medicine include: • Body weight • Body chemistry • Other medications being taken • Individual metabolism • Eating different foods

16. Side Effect • Reaction to a medicine other than the one intended • Tolerance • A condition in which the body becomes used to the effect of a medicine • Withdrawal • The process that occurs when a person stops using a medicine/substance to which he/she has a physiological dependence Common Terms

17. Additive Interaction • Occurs when medicines work together in a positive way • Antagonistic Effect • Interaction of 2 or more medicines • One cancels or reduces the strength of the other • Synergistic Effect • Interaction of 2 or more medicines • One increases the strength of the other Drug Interaction

18. Drug Interaction Activity! • Every participant will receive a handful of skittles • Each color skittle represents a specific brand and dosage of drug • We will learn about the dangers of mixing drugs together or with alcohol

19. Red • Heart • Pink • Blood Pressure • Purple • Memory • Blue • Respiratory • Yellow • Urinary • Green • Antibiotics • Orange • Pain What The Colors Represent

20. MIX YOUR DRUGS!

22. Organizational Tools

23. Part 2: Using Medicine Wisely

24. How do drugs reach the store? A Government agency known as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deems the Drugs to be safe and effective for the public to use.

25. Generally stronger and have more potential harm • Can only be used with written approval of licensed physician • Only licensed Pharmacists can give them Prescription Medications

26. Over the counter (OTC) medicines can be used without a prescription • Generally weaker and safer to use than prescription medicines • Still have the potential of being harmful Over-The-Counter Medications

27. “HOW DO I USE IT?” All medication should have a “directions” section. • Proper Use of Medication: • Know what active ingredients you are taking • Follow the prescribed or recommended amount • Know how often you should be taking it

28. Reasons to finish your prescribed course of medicine: • You will feel better before the illness is gone • You will build resistance to the medicine if not taken properly • The dosage and length is how the drug designed to fight the disease. • Because, really… the doctor knows best  Why finish?

29. Don’t Forget To Take Your Medications

31. Brand Name vs. Generic Name Medication A 1 B 2 C 3

32. Misuse and Abuse • Common examples include: • Mixing medicine • Sharing your Rx medicine • Taking too much or too little • Taking someone else’s medicine • Taking the medicine for too long or for too short

33. Medications are classified according to what? • Their effects on the body • Their cost • Availability • Ease of Use Review

34. Which of the following are the two examples of important vaccines from the presentation? • Influenza & Rubella • Rubella & Pneumonia • Pneumonia & Influenza • Flu & Acetaminophen Review

35. Which of the following has no anticoagulant effects? • Aspirin • Ibuprofen • Tylenol • Advil Review

36. Which of the following are not examples of how someone could misuse medications? • Mixing medicine • Taking too much or too little • Taking some over the counter medications for a headache • Taking someone else’s medicine Review